click for previous page 2442 Bony Fishes SERRANIDAE Groupers and sea basses (also, soapfishes, anthiines, etc.) by P.C. Heemstra and J.E. Randall iagnostic characters: Body variable in shape, from deep-bodied to elongate and little compressed D(at least anteriorly) to notably compressed (size from a few to 250 cm). Opercle with 3 (rarely 2) flat spines; margin of preopercle nearly always serrate (but serrae rudimentary in adults of a few species) or with 1 to 4 spines. Mouth large, terminal; maxilla exposed when mouth is closed; lower jaw usually projecting; bands of small, slender teeth in jaws; canines usually present at front of jaws and sometimes at side; small teeth present on vomer and palatines of most species; no molars or incisiform teeth. Gill membranes separate, with 7 branchiostegal rays. Dorsal fin single or divided into spinous and soft portions, with IV to XIII spines and 9 to 25 soft rays; anal fin with III (rarely II)spines and 6 to 24 soft rays; last dorsal and anal-fin rays usually split to their base but counted as a single ray; caudal fin with 12 to 15 branched rays, the fin varying in shape from rounded to lunate; pelvic fins with I spine and 5 soft rays, inserted below or slightly anterior or posterior to base of pectoral fins; no scaly axillary process at base of pelvic fins. Scales small to moderate, adherent, ctenoid (or secondarily cycloid). A single complete lateral line (except Pseudogrammini and some species of Plectranthias), extending on caudal fin less than 1/2 length of middle caudal-fin rays. Vertebrae 24 to 30. Colour: variable with patterns of light or dark stripes, spots, vertical or diagonal bars, or nearly plain; many species are capable of rapid colour changes; xanthic (yellow) phases are known in some species and several species have distinctively coloured deep- and shallow-water forms; colour patterns are generally the most useful field characters as the morphometric and meristic characters often overlap to a considerable degree. dorsal fin single or divided into spinous and soft 3 (rarely 2) flat portions, with IV-XIII spines and 9-25 soft rays opercular spines mouth large, maxilla exposed when mouth closed margin of preopercle nearly anal fin usually with III always serrate or with 1-4 spines spines and 6-25 soft rays Habitat, biology, and fisheries: Serranids are benthic or bottom-oriented fishes, usually found on coral reefs or rocky substrata; the great majority of species occur on continental or insular shelves in depths less than 200 m. All are predaceous, the larger species feeding mainly on fishes, crustaceans, and cephalopods, while many of the smaller ones feed on zooplankton. Most serranids represented in the area are protogynous hermaphrodites, i.e. they first mature as females and, after spawning one or more times, they will then change sex, spawning thereafter as males. Fishes of the subfamily Serraninae are synchronous hermaphrodites, with both sexes combined (and functional) at the same time in a single individual. Although these synchronous hermaphrodites can fertilize their own eggs, they normally spawn in pairs and alternate the release of eggs or sperm in order to have their eggs fertilized by the other fish. Some groupers (subfamily Epinephelinae) form large aggregations at specific sites at the time of spawning, making them vulnerable to over-fishing. These spawning aggregations should be protected. Except for occasional spawning aggregations, most groupers are solitary fishes, and tagging studies have shown that they are generally resident on a particular reef for a long time (often years). This site specificity and the relatively slow growth rate of groupers make them particularly vulnerable to over-fishing. Groupers are among the most highly priced food fishes and are actively sought by commercial and sport fishermen. They are caught with hook-and-line, gill nets, spear, traps, and in trawls. For 1995, FAO’s Yearbook of Fishery Statistics reports a total catch of around 45 600 t of Serranidae from the Western Central Pacific. Separate statistics per species are not available from the area. Some groupers are important in aquaculture, and a few species have been spawned in captivity. Several species are used in cage-culture operations. Some of the smaller serranids, particularly the colourful Anthiinae and Liopropomatini are of value as aquarium fishes. Perciformes: Percoidei: Serranidae 2443 Similar families occurring in the area Callanthiidae: lateral line running close to dorsal-fin base and terminating on upper surface of caudal peduncle or below last dorsal-fin ray; nasal organ without lamellae; preopercle edge smooth; opercle with 1 or 2 spines. Glaucosomatidae: rear edge of opercle with 2 small, flat points; scaly axillary process at base of pelvic fins well developed; dorsal-fin spines VIII. lateral line close to dorsal-fin base Callanthiidae Glaucosomatidae Centropomidae: head depressed anteriorly; pectoral fins shorter than pelvic fins; lateral line extends to rear margin of caudal fin; opercle with a single flat spine. Lutjanidae: maxilla mostly covered by preorbital bone when mouth is closed; no spines on opercle; scaly axillary process at base of pelvic fins usually well developed. head depressed lateral line extends anteriorly onto caudal fin Centropomidae Lutjanidae Haemulidae: maxilla mostly covered by preorbital bone when mouth is closed; no teeth on vomer or palatines; no spines on opercle. Sparidae: jaws with incisiform and/or molariform teeth; maxilla mostly covered by preorbital bone when mouth is closed; no spines on opercle; edge of preopercle smooth. maxilla mostly covered by preorbital bone Haemulidae Sparidae 2444 Bony Fishes Lobotidae: no spines on opercle; no teeth on vomer or palatines; soft dorsal and anal fins project well past caudal-fin base. Kuhliidae: rear edge of opercle forming only 2 flat points; branchiostegal rays 6; scaly sheath at bases of dorsal and anal fins. Lobotidae Kuhliidae Acropomatidae: rear edge of opercle forming 2 flat points, or the lower point developed as a cluster of sharp spines; dorsal fin deeply divided or as 2 sepa- rate spiny and soft-rayed fins, the first part with VII to X spines, the second with I spine and 9 or 10 soft rays; several distinct, spaced canines along lower jaw. Moronidae (Lateolabrax japonicus, occurs near the northern part of the area): opercle ends in 2 flat Acropomatidae points; vertebrae 34 to 37; swimbladder extends into hollow of first anal-fin pterygiophore. lateral scale series; the 1st,5th,10th,15th,20th,25th, and 30th series are indicated Identification note Lateral scale series are the oblique series of scales that run above the lateral line from the upper end of the gill opening to the base of the caudal fin (Fig.1). lateral-line scales Fig. 1 methods of counting scales Key to the genera of Serranidae occurring in the area Note: species names are given when a genus contains a single species, or if only a single species of the genus is known from the area. dorsal fin with XIII spines 1a. Dorsal fin with XIII spines and 10 or and 10-11 soft rays 11 soft rays; preopercle with en- larged spine at corner, extending past subopercle (Fig. 2) . Niphon spinosus 1b. Dorsal fin with IV to XIII spines and 10 to 25 soft rays, the rays more nu- merous than the spines; spine at cor- enlarged ner of preopercle enlarged in some preopercular species, but not extending past spine subopercle ...................® 2 Fig. 2 Niphon spinosus Perciformes: Percoidei: Serranidae 2445 2a. Scaly flap of skin joining base of upper pectoral-fin rays to body; oblique scale series more numerous than lateral-line scales; branched caudal-fin rays 15; dorsal-fin spines IV,orVI to XI (rarely X) .......................................® 3 2b. No scaly flap of skin joining base of upper pectoral-fin rays to body; oblique scale series not more numerous than lateral-line scales; branched caudal-fin rays 12 to 15; dorsal-fin spines VIII to XIII ..........................................® 21 3a. Less than 1/2 of upper border of opercle joined to body by skin; dorsal-fin spines VII to XI .......................................(tribe Epinephelini) ® 12 3b. Most of upper border of opercle joined to body by skin; dorsal-fin spines IV,orVII to IX .....® 4 4a. Scales mainly ctenoid, not deeply embedded; preopercle edge strongly serrate; subop- ercle and interopercle serrate ........................(tribe Diploprionini) ® 5 4b. Scales cycloid, deeply embedded; preopercle edge smooth, except for a few short blunt spines dorsally; subopercle and interopercle smooth; pectoral fins longer than pelvic fins .........................................(tribe Grammistini) ® 7 5a. Dorsal fin with VIII spines and 13 to 16 soft rays; body depth greater than head length and 2.0 to 2.4 times in standard length . Diploprion bifasciatum 5b. Dorsal fin with IX spines and 10 to 12 soft rays; body depth less than or equal to head length and 2.9 to 3.7 times in standard length ...........................® 6 6a. Dorsal fin cleft to base before last spine, which is more than twice length of eighth spine; dorsal-fin rays 10; anal fin with II spines and 8 soft rays; caudal fin truncate ....... Belonoperca chabanaudi 6b. Dorsal fin indented before soft-rayed part but not to base, the last 2 spines subequal; dorsal-fin rays 12; anal fin with III spines and 9 soft rays; caudal fin rounded ...... Aulacocephalus temmincki 7a. Lateral line interrupted; dorsal-fin rays 19 to 25; anal-fin rays 15 to 21 ...............® 8 7b. Lateral line complete to caudal-fin base; dorsal-fin rays 10 to 16; anal-fin rays 8 to 13 .....® 10 8a. Lateral line double, upper part ends below middle dorsal-fin rays, lower line runs along midlateral part of body above anal fin; large spine on preopercle pointing dorsally; anal-fin rays 19 to 21; body of adults pale brown, with scattered, vertically-elongate dark brown spots .